DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.67683#0644
45° CHINA
virility of line, and harmony between the medium and the motif
of decoration.
Something of the character of these early pieces we find in
later examples such as a jade bell (Pl. 169 b) that is very close,
in shape, to the Chou bronze bells, and, to a less degree, in its
decoration. As jade is resonant, it was used both for single
bells and for chimes, and in this form was a favorite gift for
congratulation of any kind. For in a Chinese pun, “to strike a
musical stone’’ may be interpreted as “may blessings attend
you.’’ The bell was suspended by a silk cord from a wooden
frame and, like the bronze bells, was struck with a hammer.
This bell was carved from a single boulder of jade, and was
hollowed out with a tubular drill, as the interior shows. The
upper and lower edges are decorated with a fret pattern; the body
contains a border with a highly conventionalized monster’s head,
similar to those found on the early bronzes (Pl. 168 c) but based
upon sweeping curves rather than rectangular mass; below this
is a border of leaf-ornament, the larger motif being subdivided
and filled with concentric lines; on each side of the handle are
dragons. The bold simplicity of the design reflects the Shang,
Chou, and Han vessels.
The eighteenth century was a renaissance period when the
artists looked to these ancient dynasties for their prototypes,
imitating both the shapes and motifs of the early work. The
spacing of the borders, the confident firmness of line, the fine
and at times even severe taste, the fitness of the design to the
material —- all this belongs to the long, deep-rooted tradition of
the craftsmen. But as much of the symbolism and hence the
dynamic power that produced the great spontaneity and sin-
cerity of the earlier work was lost, the result, though finely
decorative, is not so convincing in its spirit.
The eighteenth century jades, however, reveal a remarkable
technical climax. This is apparent in a flower vase (Pl. 170 a)
which well illustrates the easy grace of the naturalistic design,
graceful but not powerful like the earlier pieces. It also shows
the soft evanescent effects that may be obtained in this medium,
and the waxy luster that the Chinese call “mutton fat.
Ceramics is another field in which the Chinese have been pre-
eminent, ranking with the few master potters of all ages. So
widespread and deeply rooted is their reputation in this line
that the ware of their country has become a common name in
our language, applied loosely to various kinds of pottery. Cera-
mic products were highly prized by the Chinese, and imperial
virility of line, and harmony between the medium and the motif
of decoration.
Something of the character of these early pieces we find in
later examples such as a jade bell (Pl. 169 b) that is very close,
in shape, to the Chou bronze bells, and, to a less degree, in its
decoration. As jade is resonant, it was used both for single
bells and for chimes, and in this form was a favorite gift for
congratulation of any kind. For in a Chinese pun, “to strike a
musical stone’’ may be interpreted as “may blessings attend
you.’’ The bell was suspended by a silk cord from a wooden
frame and, like the bronze bells, was struck with a hammer.
This bell was carved from a single boulder of jade, and was
hollowed out with a tubular drill, as the interior shows. The
upper and lower edges are decorated with a fret pattern; the body
contains a border with a highly conventionalized monster’s head,
similar to those found on the early bronzes (Pl. 168 c) but based
upon sweeping curves rather than rectangular mass; below this
is a border of leaf-ornament, the larger motif being subdivided
and filled with concentric lines; on each side of the handle are
dragons. The bold simplicity of the design reflects the Shang,
Chou, and Han vessels.
The eighteenth century was a renaissance period when the
artists looked to these ancient dynasties for their prototypes,
imitating both the shapes and motifs of the early work. The
spacing of the borders, the confident firmness of line, the fine
and at times even severe taste, the fitness of the design to the
material —- all this belongs to the long, deep-rooted tradition of
the craftsmen. But as much of the symbolism and hence the
dynamic power that produced the great spontaneity and sin-
cerity of the earlier work was lost, the result, though finely
decorative, is not so convincing in its spirit.
The eighteenth century jades, however, reveal a remarkable
technical climax. This is apparent in a flower vase (Pl. 170 a)
which well illustrates the easy grace of the naturalistic design,
graceful but not powerful like the earlier pieces. It also shows
the soft evanescent effects that may be obtained in this medium,
and the waxy luster that the Chinese call “mutton fat.
Ceramics is another field in which the Chinese have been pre-
eminent, ranking with the few master potters of all ages. So
widespread and deeply rooted is their reputation in this line
that the ware of their country has become a common name in
our language, applied loosely to various kinds of pottery. Cera-
mic products were highly prized by the Chinese, and imperial